You Can Access Kogi Election Materials Now – Tribunal Tells Ajaka, SDP

BY VICTOR BUORO – In a move to ensure that all parties receive fair treatment in presenting their cases before it, the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (GEPT) has granted lawyers to the first applicant in the case of the governorship election petition, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the leave of the Court to allow access to materials and all documents used in conducting the gubernatorial poll on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Chairman of the Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Justice Yusuf Ado Birnin-Kudu gave the order on Saturday compelling the first respondent in the petition, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to comply within 24 hours.

The order followed an application filed by S.E Aruwa (SAN), counsel to the plaintiff, who expressed his inability to access the documents, mainly 42 items, to proceed with his case, claiming that all efforts to access the documents at INEC offices in Abuja and Lokoja had proved abortive.

 Justice Birnin-Kudu, who made the preliminary ruling, said the application was meritorious in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, and the Electoral Law 2023.

He therefore granted the application that the first respondent allow John Adele (SAN), and S E Aruwa (SAN), who are counsels to Ajaka and SDP, certified true copies of documents used for the governorship election within two days.

Additionally, the Tribunal granted the prayers of Senior Lawyer, Adele compelling the Electoral umpire to also grant him access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electronic materials used for the contentious poll within 48 hours.